John Travolta

The rollercoaster career of Hollywood star John Travolta decisively discredited the old adage that there are no second acts. The New Jersey native first gained fame as a suave, dim-witted Brooklyn hig...
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How Well Do You Remember 'Grease'?

Fans of Quentin Tarantino's films have come to expect certain things from his films. Whether that expectation is excessive violence, long camera shots, a barefoot woman, clever dialogue, fake product placement, or just a slew of four-letter words, Tarantino rarely ever fails his audiences. To celebrate one of our favorite filmmakers, we take a look at 30 facts about his movies you may not know. Trust us, this is just the tip of the iceberg in this case though.
1. Quentin Tarantino wrote the part of Jules in Pulp Fiction specifically for Samuel L. Jackson after seeing him audition for Reservoir Dogs.
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Jackson had auditioned for the role of the man who trains Mr. Orange, but the part eventually went to Randy Brooks.
2. Inglourious Basterds star Eli Roth has claimed he was able to get into the mindset of the violent "Bear Jew" character because of the costumes.
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He's admitted that "wool underwear will make you want to kill anything" and also the music of Hannah Montana, which his girlfriend added to his iPod. It somehow filled him with the rage he needed to wield his baseball bat.
3. While filming Django Unchained, Leonardo DiCaprio had to stop filming at one point as he struggled using so many racial slurs.
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Samuel L. Jackson responded by pulling him aside and saying, "Motherf**ker, this is just another Tuesday for us."
4. Daryl Hannah's Kill Bill character, Elle Driver, has the code name "California Mountain Kingsnake." In fact, hers is the only Deadly Viper Assassination Squad code name that isn't a venomous snake.
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The name is fitting since she also isn't able to poison The Bride when she's in the hospital because Bill calls her before she can.
5. The iconic dance scene featuring Uma Thurman and John Travolta at Jack Rabbit Slim's is copied as an homage to Federico Fellini's 8½.
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6. According to Tarantino, German-born actor Til Schweiger (Sgt. Stiglitz) had always refused film roles that required him to don a Nazi uniform; he only agreed for Inglourious Basterds because he would be ["doin' one thing and one thing only,] killin' Nazis."
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7. At the very beginning of Kill Bill's O-Ren Ishii fight scene, Lucy Liu, in Japanese, says, "I hope you've saved your energy. If you haven't, you may not last 5 minutes."
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It is then exactly 4 minutes and 59 seconds until the fatal blow of the scene.
8. The cops who appear at the hospital in Death Proof after Stuntman Mike's first crash are played by real life father-son duo Michael Parks and James Parks.
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They're also the officers who respond to the wedding day massacre in Kill Bill. Michael Parks was first introduced as police officer Earl McGraw in the Tarantino-penned From Dusk Till Dawn; his son, James, was introduced as Deputy Edgar McGraw in From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money. Neither of their characters survive in the From Dusk Till Dawn films.
9. The real name of the Mr. Blonde character from Reservoir Dogs, played by Michael Madsen, is Vic Vega. Vega is also the last name of John Travolta's character Vince in Pulp Fiction.
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Tarantino has stated that the characters are brothers whom he intended to make a prequel about. The film, Double V Vega, has been abandoned since both Madsen and Travolta aged too much to do a prequel.
10. The closing credits of Jackie Brown gives special thanks to "Bert D'Angelo's Daughter," which is a reference to Tarantino's then-girlfriend, Mira Sorvino.
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In the 1970s, Paul Sorvino starred in the detective TV show Bert D'Angelo, Superstar, which makes Mira "Bert D'Angelo's Daughter." Mira herself can be spotted, out of focus, in the back of the courtroom during Jackie's arraignment.
11. Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington's characters in Django Unchained are intended to be descendants of John Shaft from the Shaft films, which would explain Washington's character's name: Broomhilda Von Schaft.
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12. In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson's character, Jules, has a "Bad Mother F**ker" wallet that belongs to Tarantino in real life.
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The inscription is an earlier reference to Shaft and its theme song. Jackson would go on to star as Shaft in the 2000 remake.
13. Kill Bill was Quentin Tarantino's first feature-length film to have fewer than 100 instances of the word "f*ck."
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It pops up in the film a mere 17 times. Reservoir Dogs has 272, Pulp Fiction has 265 instances, and the later-released Death Proof boasts 148 in its extended cut.
14. We'll never find out why Inglourious Basterds is spelled the way it is.
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Tarantino has said, "Here's the thing. I'm never going to explain that. You do an artistic flourish like that, and to explain it would just take the piss out of it and invalidate the whole stroke in the first place."
15. The scene in Pulp Fiction when Vince plunges the adrenalin shot into Mia's chest was filmed by having John Travolta remove the needle, which was already in place, from Uma Thurman's chest and then running the film in reverse.
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If you watch very closely, you can see a mark disappear from Mia's chest.
16. Death Proof has a stronger relationship to Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich than you realized.
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In the first crash scene of Death Proof, the four girls discuss and listen to the music of Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich. Musician Eddie Cochran died in 1960 after being thrown through the windshield of his taxi. David Harman, a young police cadet overseeing the investigation surrounding the crash, ended up teaching himself guitar on Cochran's impounded Gretsch from the wreck. Harman would later be known by a different name: Dave Dee, of Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich.
17. Even though The Bride's name isn't revealed to audiences until Kill Bill Vol. 2, 'Beatrix Kiddo' is visible on her plane ticket to Okinawa in the first film.
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This is one of the movie's little Easter eggs, along with the sole of her shoe saying "F*CK U."
18. Reservoir Dogs star Kirk Baltz asked to ride in Michael Madsen's trunk to understand what the experience would really be like. Madsen agreed, but, while driving, he decided it was an ideal opportunity to get into character himself.
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He subsequently drove down a long alley plagued with potholes and through a Taco Bell drive-thru before returning to the lot and releasing his co-star. The soda his character is drinking in his first appearance in the warehouse is the same one he bought himself at the drive-thru.
19. That's really Leonardo DiCaprio's blood in Django Unchained!
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When Calvin Candie smashes his hand down on the dinner table in Django Unchained, actor Leonardo DiCaprio really broke a glass under his hand and began to bleed. He stayed in character, however, and continued with the scene, eventually smearing his blood all over Kerry Washington's face. When the scene ended, Leo received a standing ovation from everyone on set, and this was the take that ended up in the final cut.
20. In Inglourious Basterds, Shosanna Dreyfus' father, who was briefly seen hiding beneath the floorboards, was played by Swiss actor Patrick Elias.
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Elias' father, Buddy, is a first cousin of Anne Frank.
21. Pam Grier had tested for the part of Jody in Pulp Fiction, but it eventually went to Rosanna Arquette. Tarantino never forgot her though, and he eventually crafted the role of Jackie Brown specifically for her.
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In fact, the titular character was initially a white woman named Jackie Burke.
22. Every character killed onscreen, with the exception of the anime scene, in the Kill Bill movies met their fate at the hands of a woman.
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Elle killed Budd and Pai Mei; O-Ren Ishii killed Boss Tanaka; Gogo killed that Tokyo businessman; The Bride, of course, killed Vernita Green, Buck, Gogo, the Crazy 88s, O-Ren Ishii, and, yes, Bill.
23. Even though she liked the movie, Madonna sent Tarantino a copy of her Erotica album with a note that read, "To Quentin, it's not about dick. It's about love. Madonna."
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The note is a reference to the opening conversation of Reservoir Dogs where the characters discuss the meaning of "Like A Virgin."
24. Tarantino came up with the idea for Death Proof afer buying a Volvo because he "didn't want to die in some auto accident like the one in Pulp Fiction."
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His friend joked in response to Quentin's preference for the safe vehicle by saying, "you could take any car and give it to a stunt team, and for $10,000 or $15,000, they can death-proof it for you," and the phrase stuck with Tarantino ever since.
25. Initially, Tarantino couldn't decide which character he wanted to play in Pulp Fiction.
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He was between Jimmie and Lance, but opted for Jimmie once he realized he wanted to be behind the camera during Mia's overdose.
26. Chiaki Kuriyama, the actress who plays Gogo in Kill Bill, accidentally hit Quentin Tarantino in the head with her meteor hammer while he was filming that scene.
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27. Jules' iconic Bible passage was mostly made up by Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson.
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. And you will know My name is the Lord when I lay My vengeance upon thee" is the only part that's even similar to what's in the scriptures. The righteous man and the shepherd? Not real.
28. At the end of Inglourious Basterds, Brad Pitt's character pretends to be an Italian actor named "Enzo Girolami," which sounds a little familiar...
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Enzo Girolami is the birth name of the director of the 1978 film, The Inglorious Bastards (Enzo G. Castellari).
29. As part of John Travolta's "research" into heroin addiction for the role of Vincent Vega, he (and his wife, happy to help) lined tequila shots along the edge of his hotel hot tub and drank them all while soaking in the hot water.
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Tarantino had referred Travolta to a recovering addict, who gave this piece of advice: "If you want to get the 'bottom envelope' feeling of that, get plastered on Tequila, and lie down in a hot pool. Then you will have barely touched the feeling of what it might be like to be on heroin."
30. Uma Thurman initially rejected the role of Mia Wallace.
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In order to get her to sign on to Pulp Fiction, a desperate Tarantino read her the script over the phone and convinced her. It was during the filming of the 1994 classic that the pair began to develop the concept of Kill Bill. Uma was given the script, along with the offer for the role of "The Bride," as a 30th birthday present from Tarantino.
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Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman has landed a high-flying new job as the face of an airline. The Australia star has teamed up with Etihad Airways to front the company's Flying Reimagined campaign, and she has filmed a number of commercials showcasing their new luxury cabins.
Etihad Airways spokesman Peter Baumgartner says, "Nicole Kidman, as a globally respected artist, was the perfect voice and face for our story, and embodies worldly sophistication, intelligence, originality, and elegance - values which form the foundations of the Etihad brand."
She follows in the footsteps of other stars including model Miranda Kerr and actor John Travolta who have previously been the face of rival airline Qantas.

Oscars presenter Ansel Elgort was secretly betting against the technicians behind Guardians Of The Galaxy winning the Best Visual Effects Academy Award last month (Feb15) because he feared he would "pull a Travolta" and mispronounce their names. The Fault In Our Stars actor helped to announce the winner of the technical prize at Hollywood's big night, but he admits he was working up a sweat fretting about who would claim the title because there was only one group of film editors' names he could actually figure out how to pronounce.
Elgort feared messing up the names would get him banned from future ceremonies and turn him into a laughing stock, like John Travolta, who infamously introduced Broadway singer/actress Idina Menzel as 'Adele Dazeem', at the awards show in 2014.
The 20 year old says, "I was actually most nervous because I had to present Best Visual Effects and the people who make visual effects are really good at their jobs, but they have really hard names to pronounce for some reason...
"I didn't know who was gonna win, obviously, and whoever wins, it's four names per winner... I looked at all the people who could've won and I said, 'OK, I really hope Guardians of the Galaxy doesn't win' - no offence - because it's all the four names I couldn't pronounce! I didn't wanna pull a Travolta; it's my first time at the Oscars, I'll never be invited back...!"
Elgort's nerves were put at ease once he opened the golden envelope and discovered Guardians of the Galaxy's Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner and Paul Corbould had lost out to the guys behind Interstellar - Paul J. Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott R. Fisher.
He adds, "I've never been so happy that someone won an Oscar. I was like, 'Guys, your work is great and your names are even better!'"

Scarlett Johansson has defended John Travolta after the actor was branded "creepy" for attempting to plant an ill-timed kiss on her face at the Oscars. Pictures taken at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday (22Feb15) show the Grease star with his arm around Johansson's waist, leaning in for a smooch, as the actress appears to lean her face away.
The snap went viral on the Internet, and The Avengers star has now spoken out to defend her pal amid accusations his behaviour was inappropriate.
She tells the Associated Press, "There is nothing strange, creepy or inappropriate about John Travolta. He is a true class act and everyone in the business would agree. The image that is circulating is an unfortunate still-frame from a live-action encounter that was very sweet and totally welcome. That still photo does not reflect what preceded and followed if you see the moment live... I haven't seen John in some years and it is always a pleasure to be greeted by him."
The two stars previously worked together on 2004 movie A Love Song for Bobby Long.

John Travolta's spokesperson has brushed off criticism of the movie star's 'hands-on' appearance with Idina Menzel at the Oscars on Sunday (22Feb15), insisting the whole presenting segment was rehearsed like that. The Grease star returned to the Academy Awards, a year after infamously flubbing the Let It Go singer's name, calling her "Adele Dazeem" as he introduced her Frozen performance at the 2014 ceremony.
He laughed off the gaffe on Sunday by reuniting with Menzel to poke fun at his embarrassing slip-up, but the actor became the butt of jokes again after repeatedly touching and caressing the Broadway star's face during the presenting appearance.
Menzel took the touchy-feely moment in her stride and thanked Travolta for taking part after the show, tweeting, "Surprise! That was so much fun. Thank you John Travolta for being a good sport. What an honor to be invited again. #lifeisgood."
Now the actor's publicist has spoken out to defend Travolta's affectionate actions, telling People.com, "It was rehearsed in total. John Travolta loved working with Idina Menzel. John had a great time at the Oscars."
Travolta was later interviewed on the post-Oscars Jimmy Kimmel Live! TV special, during which he opened up about his 2014 slip-up, blaming a backstage run-in with Goldie Hawn for leaving him starstruck and flummoxed moments before he was due to present.
Menzel wasn't the only famous female Travolta appeared to get a little too close to at the Academy Awards - he was also snapped hugging and trying to kiss Scarlett Johansson as she posed for photographers on the red carpet.

The 87th Academy Awards last night confirmed that Neil Patrick Harris is an incredible host and can do pretty much anything. Here's a look at the best moments of last night's show:
12. When JK Simmons won the hearts of moms around the world with his "call your parents" speech.
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11. When Benedict Cumberbatch whipped out his fun flask to better enjoy the evening.
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10. Whenever the camera showed Mr. &amp; Mrs. Keira Knightley.
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They're actually too cute.
9. When Oprah continued to prove she doesn't understand awards humor.
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8. When Oprah finally started to understand awards humor and totally nailed it.
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7. When NPH sort of became Sharon Stone's vagina.
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6. When John Travolta wouldn't stop touching Adele Dazeem's face.
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And when NPH called him out on it.
5. When Jack Black freaked out about technology during the opening number.
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4. When Lady Gaga paid tribute to the legendary Julie Andrews and brought the house down.
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It almost totally made up for her heinous gloved look.
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3. When Eddie Redmayne won Best Actor and exploded with the most adorable excitement imaginable.
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Even Queen Cate can't contain the joy Eddie is bringing her.
2. When Patricia Arquette turned her acceptance speech into a feminist statement (and Meryl loved it).
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1. When NPH pulled a Birdman and then walked on stage in his undies.
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For the last 10 years, if you've been able to stay awake after the Academy Awards telecast ended (late, as always), Jimmy Kimmel Live! has had an "After The Oscars Special" for all to enjoy. Last night for the 10th anniversary, Jimmy pulled out all the celebrity stops he could and it was pretty impressive.
He opened the show with a hilarious sketch featuring Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris:
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Despite his hectic Oscars schedule and Vanity Fair after party commitment, NPH managed to stop for a hug and time to babysit.
There was a special edition of "Lie Witness News", which proved people will literally lie about anything:
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Angelina Jolie as Rosa Parks? Sexiest movie adaptation that woman has ever seen, obviously.
The real icing on the cake from last night's show, however, was the two part special jam-packed with celebrities, like first-time Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne and more:
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Jeez Eddie, why don't you sound British enough? You're from there! Only Jimmy Kimmel could get Jennifer Aniston to agree to a dis-trust fall and make it funnier than we could have hoped for.
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On Top of having a series of hilarious pre-taped sketches, Jimmy also had J.K. Simmons on the show, after his very first Oscar win - "I did it baby! I did it Jimmy!" Subsequently, Jimmy made him share it with him. Jimmy also brought out the man who has been ridiculed since last years Oscars name flub - Adele Dazeem - John Travolta. John broke down just how many parties he had to attend and what dancing he'd be getting up to.
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As much as we loved last night's 10th annual special, we still think that this skit is the best thing Jimmy Kimmel has ever done.
5th Annual "After The Oscars Special" - "Handsome Men's Club":
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"Wow, you're Handsome. You're perfect. You're incredible. You are one good looking son of a bitch. Good job mom. Amazing. Holy shit."
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A broken elevator and Goldie Hawn were to blame for John Travolta's embarrassing 2014 Oscar night slip-up, because his assistant got stuck and couldn't ask anyone to cue the star for his presenting duties.
Flustered Travolta became the butt of every joke after the Academy Awards when he messed up Idina Menzel's name and called her Adele Dazeem during last year's live telecast, but he now explains he wasn't given enough time to prepare for his moment onstage.
Appearing on this year's (15) post-Oscars Jimmy Kimmel Live! TV special in the U.S., the Grease star said, "I was expected backstage and it was getting very close to the time I was supposed to go on and suddenly a page... grabbed me out of my seat and said, 'You're on in a minute and 15 seconds...'
"Later I found out that my actual page got stuck in an elevator and couldn't communicate to anybody, so then the back-up page came and rushed to get me. As I get backstage I run into Goldie Hawn... and I was starstruck. I'm hugging and loving her up and forgetting that I have to go and do this bit. They say, 'You're on... and by the way we've changed Idina's name to a phonetic spelling'.
"I get to her thing and I thought, 'What?' In my minds I was like, 'What does that mean?...' I didn't rehearse it that way."
Travolta appeared alongside Menzel at this year's Oscars, where the two stars poked fun at his slip-up before presenting an award. The actor told Kimmel, "Idina agrees she's had, like, one of the best years of her life and career, and she gives me credit."

Starred opposite Nicolas Cage in second film with director Woo "Face/Off"

Appeared in the original Broadway production of "Grease"; also toured with show for 10 months

Made feature film debut in a bit part in "The Devil's Rain"

Returned to TV to co-star in Harold Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter," a one-act play directed by Robert Altman

Played attorney Jan Schlichtman who battles powerful companies on behalf of the victims of toxic poisoning in "A Civil Action," based on the book by Jonathan Harr

Co-wrote screenplay and starred in "Chains of Gold"

Landed featured role in Brian De Palma's "Carrie"

Reunited with "Grease" co-star Olivia Newton-John to record holiday album This Christmas

Reteamed with De Palma for "Blow Out"

Played the villainous role in Tony Scott's remake of "The Taking of Pelham 123"

Co-starred with Scarlett Johansson in "A Love Song for Bobby Long"

Reprised stage role for the feature version of "Grease" opposite Olivia Newton-John

Initially revived career with comedy "Look Who's Talking" but did not follow up on movie's success

Cast in the comedy-adventure "Wild Hogs" as one of four middle-aged friends who take a freewheeling motorcycle trip

Dropped out of high school at age 16

Cast in gender-bending role as 1950s housewife Edna Turnblad (originally played by Divine in John Waters' 1988 film) in the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical "Hairspray"; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor

First starring role in a feature, as Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever"; earned Best Actor Oscar nomination

Summary

The rollercoaster career of Hollywood star John Travolta decisively discredited the old adage that there are no second acts. The New Jersey native first gained fame as a suave, dim-witted Brooklyn high school student on the sitcom "Welcome Back, Kotter" (ABC, 1975-79). Being in the right place in the right era, he became inextricably linked to pop culture trends, thanks to sensational starring roles in the disco drama "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) and the 1950s retro musical, "Grease" (1978). Travolta also had a hand in the country music revival of the early 1980s with his popular portrayal of a mechanical bull-riding oil rigger in "Urban Cowboy" (1980). Then for some reason, the biggest male movie star of the late-1970s languished throughout the next decade and beyond, his engaging talent virtually forgotten until a bold decision by Quentin Tarantino cast him in the cult mainstay "Pulp Fiction" (2004). Following the rousing response to Travolta's darkly funny performance as a junkie hit man, he was overnight commanding millions of dollars for macho hits like "Get Shorty" (1995) and "Ladder 49" (2004) and becoming one-half of a celebrated Hollywood couple after marrying Kelly Preston. Critics raved when Travolta made a belated return to his musical roots in as a tubby Baltimore stage mom in the box-office smash "Hairspray" (2007). In fact, Travolta defined more than any other celebrity - save perhaps Cher and Frank Sinatra - the very idea that a so-called "has-been" could revive a career deemed long dead, coming back stronger than ever.

Met while filming "The Experts" (1989); Engaged in January 1991; Married Sept. 5, 1991 in Paris, France by a French Scientologist minister (was legally invalid); Remarried in a legal union on Sept. 12, 1991 in Florida

Born Jan. 18, 1912; Irish-American; appeared in The Sunshine Sisters, a radio vocal group; acted and directed before becoming a high school drama and English teacher; was director of a summer theater until her family grew to six children; was 42 when John, the last child, was born; Cast in a minor part in "Saturday Night Fever" (1977); Died of cancer on Dec. 3, 1978

Salvatore Travolta

Father

Born in 1913; semi-professional football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company; Died in 1995

Born April 13, 1992; mother, Kelly Preston; parents claimed he suffered from Kawasaki disease; Died on Jan. 02, 2009 after suffering from a seizure at his family's vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island; parents later admitted he was autistic

Education

An avid flier since the age of 16, Travolta was a licensed jet pilot and owned several jets.

Travolta and Robby Benson were finalists for the role of Michael Corleone's son in "The Godfather, Part II" (1974). Benson won the part but the character was cut from the release print.

Travolta held the record for the most Rolling Stone covers for an actor (1978, 1980, 1983, 1985).

He was offered the lead in "Days of Heaven" (1978) but the producers of ABC's "Welcome Back, Kotter" would not release him. The role instead went to Richard Gere.

He also backed out of starring in "American Gigolo" (1980) and Gere stepped in.

Travolta was named Man of the Year by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals in 1981.

Travolta turned down the lead in "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982), a part reportedly written for him, because the shooting conflicted with his attendance of American Airlines' month-long jet pilot training school. Gere got that role as well.

Travolta turned down the lead in "Blind Date" (1987). The part became Bruce Willis' feature debut as a lead.

Impressed by Travolta after their collaboration on Harold Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter" (ABC, 1987), director Robert Altman considered him for the lead in "The Player" (1992), but eventually chose Tim Robbins. He feared that Travolta would bring "too much history" to the part.

"There's hardly anything I wouldn't do for Quentin [Tarantino]. But I know that he already feels paid back by my doing a good job. I know Quentin doesn't feel I owe him anything. I don't think there's ever been anyone who's genuinely loved me more than Quentin. He doesn't want anything back other than my well-being, and every time I think about the purity of that it makes me want to cry or something. And Steven Spielberg, he's the one who called me and told me to do the Nora Ephron movie 'Michael.' So with Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg, I think I have the best guardian angels that the planet has to offer." – Travolta quoted in Us, December 1995

Travolta reportedly left the production of "The Double," directed by Roman Polanski, nine days before shooting. He had been expected to earn a $16 million salary for the feature. A breach of contract lawsuit was settled out of court in July 1997.

Travolta frequented Denny’s restaurant, often for late night meals. The popular franchise chain was also where he ate throughout the film "Lucky Numbers" (2000).

After completing his flight training, Travolta was named ambassdor-at-large for Australia's Quantas airlines. On July 1, 2002, he took his family on a two-month trip around the world. They planned to visit 13 cities and travelled on a refurbished Boeing 707 that Travolta purchased from the airline.

On May 4, 2012, Travolta was sued by an anonymous masseur who accused him of assault and sexual battery during a routine massage session earlier that year in Los Angeles. A second anonymous masseur came forward with similar allegations just days after the first lawsuit was filed in California. Travolta’s attorney, Marty Singer, released a statement that called the accusations "absurd and fictional," along with photographic proof his client was miles away in New York City when the original incident allegedly occurred. The first accuser, nicknamed 'John Doe No. 1' dismissed his lawsuit against Travolta on May 15, 2012, while the second masseur dropped his lawsuit two days later.